In the hands of the Rubin Group, a traditional townhouse at 1321 21st St. NW is reborn as home to six condominium units.

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In the hands of the Rubin Group, a traditional townhouse at 1321 21st St. NW is reborn as home to six condominium units.

The building housing six condo units in the Newport 21 project was constructed in 1921 in the Dupont Circle area of Washington. It was most recently a single-family dwelling that had been owned by the same family for 50 years.Benjamin C. Tankersley/For The Washington Post

Samuel Goodman had been on the hunt for a condominium apartment in the Dupont Circle or Logan Circle area of Northwest Washington for about six months when he heard about the Newport 21 Condominiums under development at 1321 21st St. NW by the Rubin Group.

He said he thought it would be a match when he learned that the building would be entirely new inside but would maintain some elements of a traditional townhouse. Goodman, who has been renting in Foggy Bottom, reserved Unit 4 at Newport 21 before it went on the market.

“I love the location and the efficient use of space,” he said. “The living and dining area and kitchen aren’t huge, but they’re designed well and have floor-to-ceiling windows, and the second level is great. I have a big bedroom with space for my desk, which is great, because I work from home sometimes.”

Original facade restored: The building housing Newport 21, constructed in 1921, was most recently a single-family dwelling owned by the same family for 50 years.

“We wanted to restore the original facade of the home and yet provide more opportunities for people to live in such a great neighborhood,” said Andrew Rubin, a principal of the Rubin Group.

Unfortunately, much of the original interior of the home could not be saved because previous renovations of the property had left some areas unsafe, said Mimi Tygier, a principal of the Rubin Group. The developers salvaged what they could, so the original floors, moldings and railings will be reused in other locations.

“We put in big windows as much as possible without compromising the design of the building, because one of the challenges of city living is to bring in natural light,” said Tygier.

A central stairwell/atrium space with skylights provides extra natural light to some of the building’s interior rooms. The new addition on the back of the building has floor-to-ceiling windows.

“There are a lot of buildings in Dupont Circle that have a restored facade in the front with a beautiful new facade in the rear,” said Rubin. “Inside, we wanted to blend the home’s old-world charm and new-world convenience, with contemporary fixtures and finishes as the bridge.”

Steve Corbeille, owner of Nest 301, a new design service with a showroom in North Bethesda, worked with the Rubin Group to design the interiors of the units and stage them for buyers.

“The units at Newport 21 aren’t large, so we wanted to stay away from heavy furniture and put in more modern furniture but with a classic style,” Corbeille said.

Walkable community: “I love the fact that this building is on a quiet, quaint block but I can walk a block or two away and find everything,” Goodman said. “My office is in Arlington, so it’s great to be able to walk to the Foggy Bottom Metro and take the Orange Line.”

Residents can easily walk to Georgetown, to Foggy Bottom, to Dupont Circle and to the West End and to restaurants, shops and offices in all those neighborhoods and along K Street NW.

Roof decks: Unit 6, the penthouse home, priced at $899,900, has a lower-level entrance with a walk-in coat closet and a master bedroom suite with a deep walk-in closet and a luxurious bathroom. Upstairs is a second bedroom with a full bathroom accessible from the hall and by a pocket door from the bedroom. The open kitchen, living and dining area face a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, while nearby, a staircase leads to a private 600-square-foot roof deck with electricity, gas and water so that owners can add an outdoor kitchen to the space.

Unit 5, priced at $799,900, is a front unit with an exposed brick wall, a half bathroom on the main level, an open floor plan for the living and dining area and kitchen, two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The master bedroom has a charming sloped ceiling and extra storage under the eaves.

Unit and building amenities: The homes have natural hardwood plank flooring, 81/2- to 10-foot high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows in three units, recessed lighting throughout each model, white Shaker-style cabinets with under-cabinet lighting, marble counters, a glass mosaic backsplash and stainless steel appliances in the kitchens; frameless, glass-enclosed walk-in showers and marble-and-glass mosaic walls in the bathrooms, ceiling fans in the bedrooms, an energy-efficient tankless water heater and a stacked Energy Star washer and dryer in each unit.

Parking spaces are included in the price for Units 5 and 6. A landscaped courtyard behind the building is available to all residents, and some units also have private outdoor space.

Schools: School Without Walls @ Francis-Stevens, for elementary and middle; Wilson High School

Transit: The Dupont Circle Metro for the Red Line and Foggy Bottom Metro for the Blue and Orange Lines are within walking distance. Numerous bus routes travel on nearby streets.

Michele Lerner is a freelance writer.

Newport 21 Condominiums

1321 21st St. NW, Washington

The condo apartments range in price from $409,900 to $899,900.

Builder: The Rubin Group

Features: The units are housed in a 1921 building where the facade and interior brick walls were restored. The units have large windows, open floor plans, hardwood floors, white Shaker-style cabinets, marble countertops and glass mosaic walls in the bathrooms.

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